‘Maturity beyond his years’ - Brave 7-year-old praised for dialling 999 after mum collapsed

A seven-year-old boy who dialled 999 for help after his mum collapsed has been praised by police for his quick and mature actions. Ronnie-Lee Gray, from Tilbury in Essex, sprang into action when his mum fell unconscious at the home he shares with his two younger sisters earlier this month.

Within moments, the youngster dialled 999. Thanks to his calm responses, officers were able to ensure ambulance service colleagues were quickly on the scene.

Ronnie’s mum, Becky, had been recovering at home following surgery just days earlier, and said she was suffering from low blood pressure. She said: “It’s happened before, and he phoned for help then.

“He’s known how to help for quite a while, as I’ve had this problem for some time, particularly when I was pregnant, so we’ve even given him his own phone. I had previously suffered with my blood pressure and sometimes passing out.”

Becky was taken on to hospital for further checks, where staff were full of praise for Ronnie’s actions. She said: “Even when I was in hospital at A&E, I had all the doctors coming up to me telling me ‘your son is a very clever boy’. I’m so proud of him.”

Recognition for Ronnie did not stop there, as Essex Police’s Force Control Room team arranged for him to visit his local police station for a special ‘thank you’. He met officers with Thurrock Community Policing Team and even got the chance to check out the team’s quad bikes – which are used to tackle anti-social motorcycling in the district.

Thurrock Engagement Sergeant, Amelia Moore, added: “Ronnie showed maturity far beyond his years in helping his mum that day and clearly avoided a potentially worse outcome. It’s only right we thank him in some small way by letting him come and meet his local policing team. We were delighted to host Ronnie, he was a real pleasure and a credit to his family.”

Adam Taylor, Force Control Room supervisor, said: “Praise must also go to call handler Ruth Potts, whose manner and professionalism with Ronnie ensured we had help in place for his mum as quickly as possible. Ruth is an outstanding call taker and a credit to the FCR.

“This call illustrates the variety of incidents we at the Essex Police control room deal with on a day-to-day basis, facing huge demand and persevering with care and patience. We deal with a range of complex and challenging situations.”